Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Jump scares are always terrible (except for the good ones). This video looks at jump scares from all angles and attempts to break down why they work or don't work, why they're so common, how to make them better, and also provides more in-depth breakdowns for a few specific movies and jumpscares including The Descent, The Exorcist III, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake.
This video was supposed to be up three weeks earlier at the start of October, but due to scumbags at Pathé abusing YouTube's content ID system and violating Fair Use copyright law, the video was removed from you and the channel was struck with a copyright strike until I was able to file a legal counter-notification and force Pathé to back down.
Read my horror novel "South of the Mason-Dixon"
https://a.co/d/7uepDNx
My top 100 horror films list: youtu.be/MzL-5keB7vU?si=UV_xVqZReolgQM0o
The Exorcist III Deserves More Respect: youtu.be/2O8BKfeTG6k?si=qoh5FTxkzWecCEKy
Last year's Macabre Month of Horror: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLWo4eAfFcptVaFC4oKAtfFGU8J0DwpN3&si=Q1JAMLojt8s9tmKG
The 2021 Macabre Month of Horror: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLWo4eAfFcptA84B5cRqx3WWQUI8KrZ-D&si=6rENbcBFJkFQUiiM
The 2020 Macabre Month of Horror: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLWo4eAfFcpvgWxnuNJ4vTAIzJow7BnMA&si=ySRYqg0eO47Pi3S5
Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/Brickwall_
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:25 Defining Jump Scare
05:58 The Two Types of Jump Scare
08:35 Why are jump scares so prevalent?
10:50 Are jump scares always bad?
11:23 Make the bang diegetic
14:11 How David Lynch does jump scares
16:02 The Exorcist III hallway jump scare breakdown
20:20 Don't telegraph the jump scare
22:00 How The Texas Chain Saw Massacre avoided jump scares
24:36 How the remake screwed it up
You can also write it jumpscare, one word. Is that the right way? Who knows?
Jump scares are always terrible (except for the good ones). This video looks at jump scares from all angles and attempts to break down why they work or don't work, why they're so common, how to make them better, and also provides more in-depth breakdowns for a few specific movies and jumpscares including The Descent, The Exorcist III, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake.
This video was supposed to be up three weeks earlier at the start of October, but due to scumbags at Pathé abusing YouTube's content ID system and violating Fair Use copyright law, the video was removed from you and the channel was struck with a copyright strike until I was able to file a legal counter-notification and force Pathé to back down.
Read my horror novel "South of the Mason-Dixon"
https://a.co/d/7uepDNx
My top 100 horror films list: youtu.be/MzL-5keB7vU?si=UV_xVqZReolgQM0o
The Exorcist III Deserves More Respect: youtu.be/2O8BKfeTG6k?si=qoh5FTxkzWecCEKy
Last year's Macabre Month of Horror: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLWo4eAfFcptVaFC4oKAtfFGU8J0DwpN3&si=Q1JAMLojt8s9tmKG
The 2021 Macabre Month of Horror: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLWo4eAfFcptA84B5cRqx3WWQUI8KrZ-D&si=6rENbcBFJkFQUiiM
The 2020 Macabre Month of Horror: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLWo4eAfFcpvgWxnuNJ4vTAIzJow7BnMA&si=ySRYqg0eO47Pi3S5
Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/Brickwall_
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:25 Defining Jump Scare
05:58 The Two Types of Jump Scare
08:35 Why are jump scares so prevalent?
10:50 Are jump scares always bad?
11:23 Make the bang diegetic
14:11 How David Lynch does jump scares
16:02 The Exorcist III hallway jump scare breakdown
20:20 Don't telegraph the jump scare
22:00 How The Texas Chain Saw Massacre avoided jump scares
24:36 How the remake screwed it up
You can also write it jumpscare, one word. Is that the right way? Who knows?
